More Topics

Weather Forecast

Facebook log-in leads to arrest of Minnesota man

26 year-old Nicholas Wig is in jail after he signed into his Facebook account during burglary and forgot to log off, leading to his arrest. 2 / 2

Minneapolis, MN (CNN) - A Minnesota man is in jail because he logged on to Facebook - during his alleged crime. Police say Nicholas Wig checked his profile from a home he broke into, and then didn't log off.

James Wood – Homeowner: "When I came home from work that day, that screen was laying right here."

When James Wood came home Thursday morning, his house had been ransacked, several items, gone.

James Wood: "Credit cards, cash for a soccer tournament, checkbook, watch. Kinda started to panic."

Wood notified police but then noticed something on his computer.

James Wood: "He uh, HA!!! He pulled up his Facebook profile and left it up."

Police say 26 year-old Nicholas Wig had checked his Facebook while stealing from the house and forgotten to log out. So, wood updated Wig's status.

James Wood: "I shared his photo and said watch out for this guy he's a thief."

People kept commenting on that post. He also left his phone number asking anyone to call with information on where to find Wig.

James Wood: “He texted me at 7 PM.”

Who should text him? Wig himself.

Jamse Wood: "I replied you left a few things at my house last night how can I get them back to you."

Wig agreed to meet with wood under the impression he could give back Wood's recycled cell phone in exchange for his clothes he had left at the home.

James Wood: "World's dumbest criminals."

When Wood spotted him heading toward the house, he called police.

James Backstrom - Dakota County Attorney: "I've never seen this before."

Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom says he's thankful Wig was caught, but even he is baffled by Wig's decision to log onto Facebook.

James Backstrom: "It's a pretty unusual case might even make the late night television shows in terms of not being too bright."

James Wood: "If he wouldn't have done the Facebook thing, we wouldn't have caught him."

Wig has an extensive criminal history, including a second-degree burglary conviction from 2008, a domestic assault misdemeanor, and pending drug charges. He could face up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines if convicted of this most recent charge.